The adobe walls offered shelter from midday heat, yet retained warmth during the night. Each unit had its own living, sleeping and cooking quarters. In a pueblo were also several kivas, rooms where the Hopi honored their ancestors and the ka’chinas -- spirit messengers to the gods.

Hopi: History and Today

Hopi people have lived at the Oraibi Pueblo since at least the 13th century. They continue even today to cultivate the land in terraced fields, with gardens that do not damage the fragile mesas. They grow corn, and raise sheep and other livestock.

Even after the arrival of the Spanish and other European peoples, the Hopi managed to hold on to their land, and to maintain their way of life. Today the Hopi arts continue to flourish, and the pueblo way of life has survived. In fact, it is considered by many as a model for how people can live in harmony with the earth.

In most Hopi villages the pueblo of the 19th century is still home to tribal leaders and elders, while younger Hopi often move into detached housing units that resemble homes across rural America. Yet traditional aspects of Hopi life remain strong and vibrant on the reservation as the Hopi continue to plant corn as their ancestors did, and to honor their ancestors and the ka'chinas in the ceremonial rooms of their pueblo.